Grapple



NOV. 18, 1952 J. BRESLA-V 2,618,502

GRAPPLE Filed Feb. 19, 1946 Qu o 2g, E 23 e M lg y ATTORNEY.

Patented Nov. 18, 1952 UNITED vSTATES PATENT OFFICE GRAPPLE Jack Hreslav',y New Haven, Conn.

Application February 19, 1946, Serial No. 648,717

(Cl. `29d-67) 3 Claims.

This invention relates to grapples and more particularly to improvements in grapples especially adapted to engage and lift a pile of sheet., or plate, stock for transfer to another location.

One form of grapple adapted to the above mentioned use is provided with a pair of opposed stock carrying bars, or angles, between which the stock in sheet or plate form, extends, either singly or in piles, with the side .edges thereof resting upon said bars. Thesebars, or angles, are arranged to be positively moved toward and away from each other by being secured to the lower ends of one or more drop legs, or carrying arms, each of the latter` depending from the Outer end of a horizontally disposed and slidably mounted beam, the beams being supported to be oppositely moved in an enclosing structure by means of a hand wheel, acting through suitable gears and shafts. Such a form of grapple is shown and describedin U. S. Patent No. 2,337,176, issued to Jack Breslav, December 21, 1943.

The principal object of this invention is to im: prove the structure of a grapple of the` above nature whereby the operating mechanism and the supporting frame therefor will be of minimum height, to save overhead operating space and thus facilitate the use of such a grapple a stock storage location having a relatively low ceiling.

Anotherobject is to provide in a grapple of the above nature mechanism operating means of an improved structure whereby the same may be disposedv within a minimum amount of spaceA and protected against interference by associated mechanism.

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved form of grapple which will berela-` tively simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, readily manipulated, especially com! pact, and very efficient and durable in use.

With these and other objects in View, which will appear as the description proceeds, there has been illustrated in the accompanying drawings a form in which the features and principles of this invention may be conveniently embodied in practice, it being understood that various changes may be made within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit-of the invention.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan View ofa grapple embodying the features and principles of this invention;

Figure 2 is a side View of the same; and

Figure 3 is a right hand end view of the same.

Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference numerals designate like parts throughout the several views, stock carrying members, to be hereinafter described, are supported by drop legs I3 and I4 secured to the outer ends of slide beams I1 and IS respectively, and legs I5 and I6 secured to the outer ends of slide beams I9 and 2|, respectively. The slide beams Il, I9 and I8, 2I, are arranged to slideA horizontally in opposite directions in housings 22l and 23- respectively, when gear pinions 24 and 25 respectively are rotated. The teeth of the gear pinion 24 mesh with the teeth of toothed racks 26 and 21 respectively secured to the beams I'I and I8. The teeth of the gear pinion 25 mesh with the teeth of toothed racks 28 and 29 respectively secured to the beams I9 and 2|. The vertical shaft 3i, to which the gear pinion 24 is secured, is journaled in a lower bearing plate 32 and extends upwardly through an upper bearing plate 33. The bearing plate 32 extends between and is secured to channel beams 34 and 35 constituting the side members of the housing 22, and the bearing plate 33 is secured to and supported on the top surface of the channel beams 34.. and 35. The shaft 3l extends upwardly beyond the plate 33 and has a bevel gear 35 secured thereto above the plate 33 (see Figure 1). The vertical shaft 31 of the gear pinion 25 extends through a bearingplate 38 which extends between and is secured to channel beams 39 and 4Il constituting the side members of the housing 23. The shaft 31 is secured to the pinion 25 and extends upf wardly therefrom through a bearing plate 42 se,y cured to and supported on the top surface of the channel beams 39 and 4I. The shaft 31 extends upwardly beyond the plate 42 and has a bevel gear 43 secured upon its upper end. Rotation of the bevel gears 36 and 43 in unison will cause the respective pairs of slide beams I1, I9 and I8, 2| to slide in the housings 22 and 23 respectively, to move the respective drop legs I3, I5, and. I4, I6 in unison toward or away from eachother. The housings 22 and 23 are secured to and suspended from widely spaced apar-t grapplevframe side beams 44 and 45 and the outer ends of the respective side members 34, 35, and 39, 4I of these housings are secured together by plates 46, 41, and 48, 49 respectively.

A short horizontal shaft 5I, journaled in spaced apart bearing blocks 52 and 53 mounted on the bearing plate 33, has a bevel gear 54 secured thereto which is in mesh with the bevel gear 33. The shaft 5I extends beyond the bearing block 53and`has a sprocket wheel 55 secured upon its inner end. A short horizontal shaft 55,

journaled in spaced apart bearing blocks 5I and 58 mounted on the bearing plate 42, has a bevel gear 59 secured thereto which is in mesh with the bevel gear 43. The shaft 58 extends beyond the bearing block 58 and has a sprocket wheel 6| secured upon its inner end. The inner ends or" shafts 5| and 56, upon which the sprocket wheels 55 and GI are respectively secured are in opposing rela-tion, see Figure l. The sprocket wheels 55 and 6I are drivingly connected to sprocket wheels 62 and 83 respectively by chains 64 and 65. The sprocket wheels 62 and 83 are secured on a continuous horizontal shaft E5 extending along and disposed over the frame beam 44 being journaled adjacent each end of the beam 44 in bearing blocks 6l, 68, and 69, 'EI respectively. The bearing blocks B'I, 68, and 69, II are mounted on and secured to ythe beam 44. A hand wheel T2, 'I3 is secured one upon each outer end of the shaft 65 and constitute the simplest means by which the shaft 66 may be rotated.

An elongated bar 16 is secured to and extends between the drop legs I3 and I5 to reinforce and connect them together, and a similar bar 'I1 is secured to and extends between and across the drop legs I4 and I6 to reinforce and to connect them together. A stock S engaging and carrying angle bar constituted by separated angle bar sections 18, T8, and 8| is supported from the drop legs I3 and I5 by being secured to the bar 'I6 by overlapping strips of material 82 secured to the sections and to the bar 76. The angle bar sections 'I8, 'I9 and SI depend from the bar 'I8 and are disposed with one leg 83 of their angle seotion extending inwardly toward the center of the space between the frame beams 44 and 45. A stock S engaging and carrying angle bar, constituted by separated angle bar sections 84, 85 and S6, is supported from the drop legs I4 and I8 by being secured to the bar 'il by overlapping strips of material 81 secured to the sections and to :the bar 'I'I. The angle bar sections 84, 85 and 86 depend from the bar TI and are disposed with one leg 88 of their angle section extending inwardly toward the center of the space between the frame beams 44 and 45.

The purpose of dividing the stock S supporting bars into separatedv sections, as above described, is to insure that the inwardly extending angle section legs 83 and 88 will be in alignment the entire length of the respective bars so as not to warp or unduly bend the pile of sheet, or plate, stock S being engaged and raised. Such a feature is especially desirable when the stock S supporting bars are comparatively long as such lengths of angle bars have a tendency to warp out of alignment. To further insure eicient and proper support for the pile of sheet or plate stock S, a plurality of short lengths of narrow bar stock 90 are spaced apart along the upper surface of each of the angle sections 78, 19, 8l, 84, 85, and 86. Another advantage gained by providing stock supporting bars constituted by spaced apart sections is to provide spaces 89 and SI for the uprights 92, see dotted lines in Figures l, 2, and 3, of a stock S supporting rack and thus permit the angle section legs 83 and 88 to extend under the edges of the plate stock S a suihcient amount to properly engage and support said stock.

The grapple, as above described, is adapted to be raised and lowered by a crane, or like hoisting means, by being provided with hoist hook engageable members 93 and 94. The members 93 and 94 are herein shown as being short bars extending between pairs of spaced apart beams 95 and 96. Each pair of beams 95 and 96 extend from the frame member 44 to the other 45 and are secured to the under side of the frame members 44 and 45 at the ends thereof. Being disposed in under the frame members 44 and 45 the beams and 96 support the members 93 and S4 well below the high portions of the grapple so that the latter may be raised from points closely adjacent the hoist frame and thus be efficiently used in locations where operating height is an important consideration, such as when the racks of stock S extend upwardly close to the ceiling of the stock storage room. In some installations it is desirable to provide only one hoist hook engageable member 9'I and in such instances this member 9'I is supported by beams 98 and 99 which extend across the grapple frame from the frame member 44 to the member 45 substantially at the center portions thereof as indicated in Figure l.

It will be understood that the novel features and principles of this invention may be embodied in other specic forms without departing from the spirit and essential attributes thereof, and it is therefore desired that the present embodiments be considered as illustrative, and not restrictive, reference being had tothe claims rather than to the foregoing description to indicate the scope of the invention.

Having thus fully disclosed the invention, what is claimed as new and for which it is desired to secure Letters Patent, is:

l. In a grapple, a frame comprising spaced apart side beams, a housing extending from adjacent each end of one frame side beam to the other side beam, a pair of slide beams in each housing, a gear rack on each slide beam, a gear pinion disposed between the slide beams of each pair in mesh with the gear racks thereon, a drop leg depending from the outer end of each slide beam, an elongated bar connected to the drop legs at each side of the frame to extend along the frame, spaced stock-supporting angles connected to each of said bars, a vertical first shaft for each gear pinion, a rst bevel gear on the upper end of each first shaft, a second and horizontal shaft adjacent each first shaft, the inner ends of said second shaft being in opposing relation, a second bevel gear and a sprocket wheel on each of the opposing ends of said second shafts, the second bevel gears being in mesh with the rst bevel gears, a horizontal operating shaft mounted on one of the frame side beams and extending parallel thereto substantially the entire length thereof, spaced apart sprocket wheels on said operating shaft, and a chain connecting one of the sprocket wheels on the operating shaft with the sprocket wheel on one of said second shafts, and the other one of the sprocket wheels on the operating shaft with the sprocket wheel on the other of said second shafts.

In a grapple, a frame comprising transversely spaced apart frame beams, longitudinally spaced apart housings depending from and extending between said side beams, a pair of oppositely slidable slide beams in each housing, a gear rack on each slide beam, a gear pinion between each pair of slide beams and in mesh withthe gear racks thereon, a vertical shaft extending upwardly from each gear pinion and to which it is secured, a bevel gear on the upper end of each vertical shaft, a short horizontal shaft mounted on each housing above said bevel gear and having a bevel gear thereon in mesh with the bevel gear below said shaft and a sprocket wheel on its inner end, the inner ends of said short horizontal shafts being in opposing relation, drop legs depending from the outer ends of each one of each pair of slide beams, an elongated bar secured to said drop legs at each side of the frame, a plurality of stock-supporting angles secured to each of said bars in spaced relation longitudinally thereof and disposed below the side beams, and a horizontal operating shaft mounted on and extending along the entire length of one of said side frame beams, sprocket wheels spaced apart along said operating shaft, and a chain connecting one of the sprocket Wheels on said operating shaft with the sprocket wheel on one of the horizontal shafts and the other one of the sprocket Wheels on the operating shaft with the sprocket wheel on the other of said second shafts, one of said chains extending along the inner side of each housing.

3. A grapple comprising a frame having spaced apart side beams, a housing extending from adjacent each end of one frame side beam to the other, a pair of slide beams in each housing, rotatable means between and engaging the slide beams in each housing to oppositely slide said beams in said housing, elongated bars attached to the outer ends of said slide beams, one on each side of the frame, a plurality of stock-engaging members secured to each of said bars and spaced longitudinally thereof, and means to rotate the slide beams sliding means, including a short horizontal shaft operatively connected to each of the rotatable means and mounted on each housing centrally intermediate the frame side beams, a sprocket wheel on the inner opposing ends of said short shafts, a long horizontal shaft mounted on the upper surface of one of said frame side beams and extending substantially the entire length thereof, a sprocket on said long shaft in alignment with each of the sprocket Wheels on the short shafts, a chain drivingly connecting each of the sprockets on the long shaft to the sprocket Wheel on the short shafts aligned therewith, and a hand Wheel on one end of said long shaft, the sprockets on said long shaft being at the inner side of the adjacent housing and the hand wheel being at the outer side of the adjacent housing at one end of the grapple.

JACK BRESLAV.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the rile of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,660,275 Russell Feb. 21, 1928 1,807,124 Meyer May 26, 1931 2,276,905 Windsor Mar. 17, 1942 2,281,348 Breslav Apr. 28, 1942 2,284,238 Todd May 26, 1942 2,337,176 Breslav Dec. 21, 1943 

